Wire-fence tightener.



0'. A LINTECUM. WIRE FENCE TIGHTENER.

Fig 3.

mm m.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.12, 1913.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

9 3 57! afhvh M M @lbbommag v 3 numdoz UNITED STATES PATENT O FFIQE.

CLAUD A. LINTECUM, OF SOUTH GREENFIELD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO SAMUEL LINTEGUM, OF LOGKWOOD, MISSOURI.

WIRE-FENCE TIGI-ITENER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLAUD A. LINTECUM, a citizen of the United States, resident of South Greenfield, in the county of Dade and State of Missouri, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Wire-Fence Tighteners; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of the invention as applied. Fig. 2 is an end view of the clamp sections. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2.

The object of the invention is to provide improved and simplified means for use in stretching wire fencing, and it consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, the numeral 2 indicates wire fencing secured to a post and having a free portion extended toward the next post, and ready for stretching.

The numerals 3 and 4 represent the lateral parts or sections of an upright clamp, these being composed usually of wood. One of the sections is provided with a rounded vertical bead or rib 5, on its inside face, said bead being designed to engage a correspondingly rounded vertical channel 6, in the opposite face of the other section. The flat inside faces of the sections are designed to come together as nearly as may be upon the wires of the fencing, the rib and channel construction serving to bend the horizontal wires a little so as to provide a secure grip or hold thereon when the sections are forcibly closed upon each other.

The sections 3 and 4, are detachably hinged together at the back by means of U- form staples 7, or connected parallel vertical pins which engage laterally adjacent vertical sockets 8, of angular lever bars or straps 9, which project by their forward arms 11, some distance in front of the sections. The rear portions 12, of these bars, are secured to the rear faces of the sections 3 and 4, and the vertical sockets 8, are provided, laterally opposite each other, at their Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 12, 1913.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

Serial No. 753,825.

terminal portions. The U-shaped pins or pivot devices 7, are designed to be vertically alined, and are rigidly secured to the lever bar of one clamp section and are loose in the socket of the lever bar of the other section, so that they have fixed position with reference to one clamp section.

The front ends of the lever arms 11, are provided with holes 14, for the attachment of the hooks of the detachable branched chain connection 15, of the stretching mechanism, and in order to equalize the tightening effect on the wires, the angular lever bars are secured near the upper and lower ends of the sections. The bottoms of the clamp sections are designed to be flat, so as to rest easily on the ground, and although one branch of each U-form staple is secured in the socket of section 4, by heading it or otherwise, the other branch of the staple is loose in its socket, so that when section 3, is lifted in the vertical direction or moved longitudinally against section 4, its sockets become detached from the hinge staples, and the clamp sections at once release the wires. This release is accomplished by vertical motion without slackening up the tightening tension, which may therefore be maintained in the wires to full extent. In order to provide for easy connection of the sockets of section 3, to the journal pins of the hinge staples of section 4, one of the staples is made longer than the other so that the hinge engagement of one can be partially effected before the other is brought to its socket. And it will be noted that because of this fact, that engagement or disengagement of these clamp sections is designed to be effected by vertical bodily movement of one section upon the other whereby the rib and channel engagement of the contiguous faces keep the hinge sockets and pins alined, the operator is not required to manipulate the parts between the fencing wires, which are usually provided with barbs, or may be involved, at the point of clamping or of disengagement, with thorny brush or other obstructing growth.

In order to hold the detachable sockets of section 3, to place, when engaged, a right angle latch 17, is pivoted to one of the sections, such latch acting as a stop to prevent disengagement of the clamp sections, whether open or closed. When the latch is turned horizontally aside, thisengagement is easily effected by the vertical movement of one section with reference to the other, as hereinbefore described. In order to prevent the latch from being casually turned, a guard 18, is provided, this being easily applied in the shape of a staple.

The latch and hinge devices are designed to avoid wrenching or casuaL displacement,

and are therefore arranged fiatwise of the rear face of the section and close to the inner rear corner of such section, which is-usually beveled or recessed for better protection of these comparatively small parts.

Suitable tightening mechanism is pro vided having the branched chain 15, a chain wheel and: an operating lever 22' for said wheel, as shown in Fig. 1.

After the stretched portion of the wire fencing has been secured in position to a post, the chain branches are disconnected and are detached by relative longitudinal movement, one from the other, and are. car ried forward, to be again adjusted to the next portion of the wire fencing at the proper distance, and connected thereto and to the tightener in order to stretch this portion for attachment to the next fence post.

What I claim is: o In a wire fence tightener, a pair of detachable elongated clamp sections having vertical longitudinal rib and channel engagement to grip the wire fence and to guide their relative longitudinal movement for connection and disconnection, upper and lower vertically socketed angular lever bars respectively secured to said clamp sections and having outward projecting end arms adapted for connection with tightening mechanism, upper and lower vertical hinge pins of unequal length rigidly connected to the lever bars of one of said sections and reinovably engaging the sockets of the bars of the other section, and a right angle latch pivoted to one of said sections and engaging over the upper end of one of the sockets and the free end of the hinge pin therein, to normally prevent disconnection of the clamp sections.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

OLAUD A. LINTECUM.

Witnesses R. I. MORRIS, J. H. ZUQERN.

Gopies of'thispateut may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

